GitLab

Evolution Korea

For a long time, Korea's scientific community has refrained from engaging with creationists, afraid that it could give the movement more credibility. However, silence is no anymore an option.

The STR has been fighting to remove evolution-related content from textbooks, including the discovery that the feathered Archaeopteryx was an ancestral bird. This is only one aspect of how the concept of development has changed.

What is Evolution?

Evolution is a scientific theory that explains the changes in the genetic traits of living organisms over time. The theory is based on fact that living things adapt to their surroundings, which can cause variations in genes or even complete genomes. These changes can, over generations lead to the creation of new species. The prevailing theory of evolution is called natural selection, which explains the process through which people with advantages survive and reproduce more often than those with disadvantages. This differing reproduction may be a catalyst to the emergence and evolution of new species.

The term "evolution" is derived from Latin for revealing or unrolling has been used in a variety of different ways as the concept has developed, both in science and elsewhere. Early evolutionists like Erasmus Darwin (Charles’s grandfather) and Jean Baptiste de Lamarck believed that species were predetermined to change into a new species. The term transmutation was coined by Lamarck's disciple, embryologist Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, to describe this notion. Charles Lyell, in his Principles of Geology, published in 1833, attacked the concept of evolution and borrowed the term from Geoffroy’s student.

In recent years, evolutionary biologists have defined evolution as a process that occurs when living things develop characteristics that increase their chances of survival, or their ability to produce offspring. Over time the genetic variability could cause the emergence of entirely new physical or biological traits in a population. Natural selection is the mechanism that triggers the majority of evolutionary changes. However, non-genetic changes such as the growth in muscle mass due to diet or exercise can't be considered examples of evolution since they are not passed on to future generations.

Creationists make the argument that evolution is controversial even though it has been proven to be accurate by thousands of scientific tests and it has stood the test of time. They claim that the concept should not be taught in schools. In South Korea, creationists won a few victories over evolution in high school textbooks. This includes the removal of references to the evolutionary roots of humans as well as Archaeopteryx - a feathered dinosaur that is believed to be the ancestor of birds.

Why is Evolution important to humanity?

Evolution explains how the Earth and all its living species evolved. It also serves as a basis of biology and helps scientists to understand how living organisms work and develop. Evolution also demonstrates how different species are interconnected. Scientists study evolution in order to better comprehend nature and make important discoveries such as new treatments.

The evidence for evolution is overwhelming. There is no other scientific theory that can explain so much about the universe as well as life on Earth, and it has been rigorously tested and verified over a long period of time. Many people, including some religious leaders, believe in the theory of evolution as a scientific fact. It is important to remember that evolutionary biology isn't in conflict with religious beliefs as it only addresses physical objects, events and processes.

Many religious people have come up with a way of reconciling evolution with their convictions. For instance, some Christians believe that God created the world through evolution and that humans share an ancestry with other animals.

It is important that scientists and educators speak out for teaching evolution. Unfortunately, in a few countries around the globe there is a growing anti-evolutionist sentiment. In the United States, efforts to restrict the teaching of evolution have made headway in a few states. In South Korea, a group known as the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) which is an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research, is campaigning for the removal of textbooks on the evolution of horses as well as the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.

While these are troubling changes, it's important to remember that the evidence for evolution is overwhelming. The evidence for evolution comes from many sources, such as fossils, genetics, and the behavior of living creatures. The evidence is also independently verified by other scientists.

The majority of scientists supports the theory of evolution. This support is based on various reasons. Some scientists study evolution to make practical discoveries for example, such as the development of medications or developing new medicines, while others are driven by the desire to improve the lives of animals and plant species, generally for the benefit of humans. Some are simply curious, while others have a profound religious belief in God and seek to understand how the universe functions.

What is Creationism?

Creationists believe that God created everything in the universe. They also believe that the Bible is the word of God and should be taken seriously. While Creationists may not all be Christian, many are. Creationists generally fall into two categories: Young Earth creationists (YEC) and old earth creationists (OEC).

The YECs are the best known type of creationist and they believe that God created the universe exactly as described in the Bible. They believe that the biblical account of the creation's six days is literal, and that the universe and the life on Earth was created only recently.

OECs are not as well-known however they are just as committed to their beliefs as YECs. OECs believe that the universe and life on Earth are billions of years old, and that evolution is an untruth.

Both forms of creationism deny the scientific theories that biogenesis and natural selection can explain how life began on Earth. They assert that evolution is inconceivable because it would require miracles. The founders of modern scientific thought resisted miracles because they feared they might lose their credibility.

Some creationists are able to accept naturalistic evolution as well as special creation, and call their belief "theistic evolution." This is also referred to as "continuous evolutionism" or the "evolution of the created species." This theory states that God creates species from scratch and then allows these to evolve over time. Then, these evolutionary changes will produce new species that are identical to the original species.

Other creationists hold that God created the universe and all living things in a single event, known as the Great Flood. They believe that all the species of the beginning were created at the same time and then gradually evolved. They also deny the notion of abiogenesis and argue that the emergence of self-replicating organisms from nonliving matter is impossible.

In general, the creationists are opposed to the teaching of evolution in schools. This is supported by numerous professional organizations, including the National Science Teachers Association, the Association for Science Teacher Education as well as the American Anthropological Association, and the Geological Society of America. However, certain academic institutions and scientists are more flexible, and permit the inclusion of creationism and evolution in their curriculum.

What is Creationism in Korea?

When people think of creationism most often, they think of the United States. South Korea also has an anti-evolutionist group. The publishers of high school textbooks have recently announced that they will eliminate references to evolution from their editions. A group known as the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) is an unofficial body that is an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research and has been the driving force behind the move. STR has secured its first victory in eliminating instances of the evolution of the horse and an avian ancestor, called the Archeopteryx, from textbooks. Its next target is to take out excerpts from Darwin’s infamous finch-research as well as on human evolution.

STR claims that it has the support of 4000 families and individuals. Its goal is to weed out what it regards as the "atheist materialism" that paints an unhopeful worldview for students. It also aims at countering the influence of American Creationists across the country. A survey of undergraduates studying biology found that half did not believe in evolution. The causes aren't clear, but may include religious beliefs or the absence of full-time creation scientists in the United States.

The KACR has accomplished a lot in the past through lectures and seminar events. It publishes a bimonthly magazine, Creation, and has published books. The most notable of these is a text on the natural sciences with a creationist viewpoint, which sparked interest in college communities. In 1991, a professor, together with a minister began teaching Creation Science at one university. It is still taught in the present.

On August 6 and 7, 1993, coinciding with the World Expo opened in Daejeon, KACR held a second International Symposium on Creation Research. Six lecturers from abroad including ICR's John Morris and Steven Austin presented to thousands of people. KACR and its members have given lectures on creation science in major seminaries as well. KACR intends to establish a Creation Science Education Center.